ENGINEERING TRIPOS PART IIB - 2012/2013

Module 4E11 - Strategic Management

AIMS

Strategic management involves the comprehensive analysis of a firm and its environment and the development of a course of action for the firm. It is therefore a comprehensive topic drawing together themes from marketing, organization design, economics, and other business disciplines. The primary aim of this module is to provide participants with an opportunity to discuss the strategic challenges facing managers in today’s business environment and to develop a facility for critical strategic thinking. This will require participants not only to understand the course material, but also to apply it to business situations through the analysis of businesses cases in class. This overview of strategy will provide a broad framework for future management study, and a context for engineering practice.

LECTURE SYLLABUS

The lectures will cover a range of topics that provide a basic introduction to strategic management. In each session, the lecturer will introduce a basic concept and explain its role in the strategic management process. The class will then analyze a case or discuss the situation facing some well-known firm in order to explore the application of the concept. The module will cover eight topics.

1. Defining the Mission of the Firm
2. External Analysis
3. Internal Analysis
4. Functional Level Strategy
5. Business Level Strategy
6. Corporate Strategy
7. International Strategy
8. Strategic Management in Knowledge Intensive Firms

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module the students will:

• Have developed a critical, reflective approach to managerial concepts.
• Have become familiar with some of the key models used in strategic analysis and have some understanding of their application and limitations.
• Have acquired a broad overview of managerial disciplines and their interdependency.
• Have an understanding of some of the current “hot” topics in strategic management.

REFERENCES

Please see the Booklist for Group E Courses for references for this module.

Last updated: MAy 2012